3.15 Gala | Influencer's Ten-Thousand-Yuan "Miracle Cure" Exosomes Actually Are a "Three-No" Product

“Exosomes have become extremely popular in the past two years, hailed as the darling of the anti-aging world.” This is one of the most popular product introductions in the recent medical aesthetics market. Through multiple medical publications and industry insiders, reporters learned that the “exosomes” promoted by hosts in videos are actually bioactive substances secreted during stem cell cultivation. However, in the medical and academic fields, their mechanisms of action and clinical testing are still unclear, remaining mostly in the realm of academic and theoretical research.

Precisely because these bioactive substances are still unconfirmed, some market vendors have sensed business opportunities. In online marketing videos, exosomes are being used by some cosmetic clinics for beauty and anti-aging purposes. But alongside the hosts’ miraculous claims, there are also many consumer complaints and criticisms online about “exosome anti-aging”: “I only had exosomes, and my whole face got infected with severe acne.”

Vendors are promoting aggressively, and some consumers have complained that their rights are being infringed. According to investigations, in June 2025, the National Medical Products Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation issued a draft for public comment, proposing to regulate exosomes with therapeutic functions and active ingredients as drugs. But this is only a draft for consultation, aimed at controlling the misuse or improper use of such substances in society. To date, no exosome-based drug has been approved for market sale in China. Even with regulatory red lines drawn, these unapproved “exosome anti-aging” products still circulate in some medical aesthetic fields and are sold at high prices.

To understand the situation more clearly, the reporter, based on consumer information, found a product called “Qingcheng,” which is a popular “exosome” product sold by major aesthetic clinics. The product claims to be a “Class II medical device.” However, the reporter learned that currently, China does not permit the sale of medical devices containing exosomes. The manufacturer, Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., clearly told the reporter that their product’s main ingredient is exosomes, but to evade market regulation, they used a collagen license. The illegal act of falsifying a license was not hidden by the staff.

Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Sales Staff: The products are all self-produced. The current license we use is for collagen. In the classification of medical devices, there is no category for exosomes.

The national regulatory authorities impose strict controls on exosomes; they are not allowed to be added to Class II medical devices, and no products containing exosomes have been approved for market. The staff at Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. are well aware of this.

Faking licenses, illegal additions, and illegal sales—these are not the full picture of the chaos surrounding exosomes. Although no products containing exosomes have been approved for sale in China so far, some companies in the market still engage in false advertising. They claim their exosome products can not only beautify and anti-age but also exaggerate that they can treat various diseases.

The reporter, citing cooperation, contacted Yuanchuang Gene Technology Co., Ltd., located in a city in Central China. The company strongly invited the reporter to visit. To showcase their strength, General Manager Han took the reporter to the tech exhibition hall and their so-called “laboratory.” Before entering the “laboratory,” wearing shoe covers, changing into dust-proof suits, and wearing hats are mandatory procedures. General Manager Han told the reporter that their exosome products are divided into several grades, with the lowest grade sold to the aesthetic industry, offering the least effective results.

Yuanchuang Gene Technology Co., Ltd. General Manager Han: Based on technical difficulty levels, the aesthetic grade is the lowest, followed by sub-health care and chronic diseases, with the highest being for tumor treatment.

Han openly admitted that they have begun specific sales of exosomes for health regulation and treatment. He specifically told the reporter that several middle-aged and elderly people in the next conference room came after hearing online promotions, seeking “cures” for their illnesses.

Yuanchuang Gene Technology Co., Ltd. General Manager Han: Customers come here with test reports, and we draft treatment plans. Then they come here for exosome injections for regulation.

The reporter expressed interest in seeing how the company administers exosomes to patients. Han said that their “exosome” injections carry significant regulatory risks because these products are not approved by the state. Therefore, they do not administer injections in the company and refused the reporter’s request.

Continuing the investigation, the reporter found that, besides Yuanchuang, in a city in Southwest China, Jiebosai’er Biotechnology Co., Ltd., led by Tan, also openly admitted to using exosomes for disease treatment.

Jiebosai’er Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Tan: I use medical-grade ones, dare to inject, dare to target. I shipped 360 doses this morning, one customer ordered because their child has epilepsy, needing a year’s worth.

Reporter: Are you injecting the same thing?

Tan: It’s the same as for beauty, just used differently.

Seeing the reporter’s skepticism, Tan directly took out her so-called “medical-grade exosome frozen raw liquid” from the refrigerator and proudly showed it to the reporter. The packaging has no product information—completely a “three-no” product (no approval, no registration, no certification).

Reporter: Does it have a medical device or cosmetic registration number?

Tan: No, no, no. Exosomes are called a technology, not a product for sale.

Reporter: If it’s a product, that wouldn’t be okay, right?

Tan: The product is definitely not approved.

Reporter: Why?

Tan: It hasn’t been approved yet. We can only sign a technical service agreement with you, which avoids all legal risks.

Disguising “three-no” products as “technology services,” these exosomes enter the market. To prove their medical efficacy, Tan took the reporter to the company’s so-called “laboratory” for a现场 demonstration.

Tan: We take the exosomes from here; this is the laboratory.

Just as she finished speaking, a call came in urging Tan to deliver exosome products. Hearing that patients are about to receive treatment with exosomes, Tan invited the reporter to accompany her to deliver the products.

Following Tan, the group drove more than ten minutes to a local hospital. In the high-end medical area on the fifth floor, the reporter witnessed patients receiving intravenous injections of “three-no” exosomes!

Tan: This is the laboratory where they took the exosomes from; they have already been infused. The patient has foot discomfort and sub-health. This one has kidney issues. I was in a hurry and didn’t label the bags, but they have the labels—exosomes with 250 billion particles.

According to Tan, diseases like epilepsy, arthritis, and diabetes can be treated by injecting “three-no” exosomes. But when the reporter asked to see data verifying the efficacy of exosomes, Tan refused. She also said that because the company lacks medical qualifications, exosome injections can only be done through cooperation with medical institutions, a practice industry insiders call “borrowing a platform to substitute for direct injection.”

Reporter: How much do they pay you for this?

Tan: Operation fee? Small room 500 yuan, shared large room 200 yuan.

These so-called “exosomes” without approval, without clinical trials, and without efficacy data are being packaged by these companies as “panacea” medicines, even injected into patients through “borrowing a platform.” The profit margin for this business is quite high.

Tan: First time 150 billion particles, second time 200 billion, third time 250 billion. Gradually increasing, totaling 600 billion particles, charging customers 60,000 yuan.

Yang Yue, Researcher at Tsinghua University School of Pharmacy: All medical technologies and drugs must undergo rigorous preclinical and clinical research before human use. This strict process is necessary to verify safety and efficacy. Using unapproved products on humans carries risks. Once injected, these products can damage organs and functions, even cause permanent harm.